This invention pertains generally to firearms and, more specifically, to a backstrap module configured to receive components and circuitry of a firearm capable of firing non-impact fired ammunition.
Over the years, there has been a continuous effort to improve the security and operation of conventional firearms. Improvements in electronics technology has allowed certain mechanical firing systems and components in firearms to be replaced by electronic components. For example, a mechanical trigger bar is displaced by an electronic solenoid in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,085, xe2x80x9cELECTRONIC FIRING SYSTEM FOR TARGET PISTOLxe2x80x9d. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,153, for a xe2x80x9cFIREARM BATTERY AND CONTROL MODULExe2x80x9d, a firearm using conventional percussion primers incorporates a processor into its ignition system.
Electronics have also been incorporated into ignition systems for firearms that use non-conventional primers and cartridges. U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,174, for xe2x80x9cELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEMS FOR FIREARMxe2x80x9d, describes an electronic control system for firing electronically-primed ammunition. The electronic control of the ""174 patent, however, is hard-wired and lacks the multiple sensor interfaces of the programmable central processing unit that is found with the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,972, for a xe2x80x9cGUN WITH ELECTRICALLY FIRED CARTRIDGExe2x80x9d, describes an electrically-fired gun in which a heat-sensitive primer is ignited by voltage induced across a fuse wire extending through the primer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,828, for a xe2x80x9cCOMBINED CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE AND POWER SUPPLY FOR A FIREARMxe2x80x9d, shows a laser ignited primer in which an optically transparent plug or window is centered in the case of the cartridge to permit laser ignition of the primer. Power requirements to energize the laser, as well as availability of fused and or laser-ignited primers are problematic, however. U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,056, for an xe2x80x9cELECTRONIC FIREARM AND PROCESS FOR CONTROLLING AN ELECTRONIC FIREARMxe2x80x9d, shows a firearm for firing electrically-activated ammunition having a cartridge sensor and a bolt position sensor. The technology of the ""056 patent however, is limited to a firearm with a bolt action.
Much of the effort in recent years to integrate electronics into firearms stems from a desire to effectively restrict the person or persons who are able to operate the firearm. There have also been numerous attempts to incorporate external, mechanical locking devices such as keyed locks which prevent movement of the trigger or firing mechanism. The downside of such external locking devices is that they are often cumbersome and timely to disable, and thus impractical for use on the person or in situations where the firearm must quickly be readied to fire.
None of the firearms discussed or cited above disclose a modular, compact and ergonomically designed backstrap of a firearm which is capable of serving as a handgrip of the firearm while housing components vital to the operation of the firearm. The present invention is directed to such a backstrap module.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a backstrap module configured to receive components and circuitry of a firearm capable of firing non-impact fired ammunition.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a backstrap module for a firearm which is modular in design, thereby having improved reliability, maintainability, and manufacturability.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a backstrap module for a firearm which can give the operator of the firearm the tactile sensation of an impact fired firearm.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a backstrap module for a firearm with improved safety features, thereby reducing the possibility of an inadvertent discharge of an ammunition cartridge.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a backstrap module for a firearm which includes a display for informing an operator with vital firearm information.
According to the present invention, a backstrap module configured to receive components and circuitry of a firearm capable of generating a firing signal from a firing apparatus for firing a non-impact ammunition cartridge along a firing axis includes a housing having an exterior surface which serves as a handgrip of the firearm, the operator""s hand encircling the housing during a firing of the firearm. The backtrap module further comprises a circuitboard arrangement including a rigid circuitboard portion and a flexible circuitboard portion, the circuitboard arrangement being accommodated within the housing and configured to conform to the contours of the housing.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in the light of the following detailed description of best mode embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.